Lower Tauern Central

Just a few cm of fresh snow

Just a few cm of fresh snow

Avalanche danger above the timberline is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. Snowdrifts occur near ridgelines, in high alpine regions also behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain, increasingly on W/S/SE facing slopes and in steep gullies and bowls. They are sometimes blanketed with fresh fallen snow, making them difficult to recognize. A slab of medium size can be triggered in steep terrain even by minimum additional loading.

The fresh fallen snow from the beginning of this week has settled, but is still loose, esp. on shady slopes. Due to nights of clear skies, surface hoar has formed which is then blanketed by snowdrifts generated by intensifying northerly winds. Wherever the sun has moistened the snowpack superficially on Wednesday, a thin melt-freeze crust was able to form. Particularly on shady slopes, the snowdrift accumulations are inadequately bonded with the old snowpack. Potential fracture points for slab avalanches lie mostly in the very cold and loose now-blanketed snow. Apart from that there are weak layers inside the old snowpack: melt-freeze crusts and depth hoar in the fundament.

On Friday, the peaks will mostly be shrouded in fog-like clouds. In the Lungau Nockberge there will be extended dry phases, but northerly foehn winds will be blowing. AT 2000 m: about -11 degrees, at 3000 m: -12 degrees. Also on Saturday, mostly heavy cloud over the mountains, only the highest summits will be in the clear. Light snowfall is possible during the course of the day.

Little change is expected.